Arizona Trail Bikepacking Rig

The start of the Arizona Trail Race is coming up on Friday. Many will take on the 300 mile version to Picketpost while others will continue on to the Utah border, It’s a grueling test of endurance whatever poison you pick. The trail is comprised of sharp and pointy singletrack, rugged dirt roads, and believe it or not some fairly high elevation. Those conditions dictate what type of bike to use as well as how to carry gear. The previous two times I have raced the 300 mile version I did so on a carbon hardtail. I was so crushed after both of those rides that I said I would never ride the route on a hardtail again. I have stuck to those statements even after nearly two years since I finished my last AZT experience. Another piece of the puzzle is figuring out water. Arizona in general is relatively dry, more so in some sections than others. It can also be very warm which will make you want to drink much more water. Between water, food, essential sleeping gear, layers, and emergency gear, my rig kept getting more difficult to pack – especially with a full suspension rig. Below is my gear list for the 2016 Arizona Trail Race.

Bike: Salsa Spearfish Carbon – Size Large While you lose some frame space and storage with a full suspension bike, there are still some with ample frame space like the Spearfish. For a trail like the Arizona Trail, it’s well worth the reduction of frame space.

• Nox Rims with Industry 9 rear hub and Schmidt SON 28 front dynamo
• Rock Shox Sid fork and Fox FLOAT Performance Elite rear shock
• Paired with Some Maxxis Ikon tires, 2.2 rear 2.35 front
• Sram 1×11 driver with Wolftooth 28 tooth chainring
• Shimano XT brakes and pedals
• Thompson seat post with Specialized Phenom saddle
• Race Face stem with Etrex 30 stationed on stem
• Salsa handlebars with ESI chunky grips
• Cane Creek Ergo II Bar Ends

Now I will chat about the bags and what I have in each bag. Things will likely shift a little bit, but in general, this is how I will be carrying my stuff for the duration of the ride.

Frame Bag: Rockgeist Mudlust Frame Bag – Custom Fit I tend to put a lot of things I really hope not to used towards the bottom of the bag, like tools and my rain jackets. Other things that I will need to access more are my hydration bladder which is near the top of the zipper opening. It’s also important to note that I put most of my heavy items in the frame bag, this is because it gives the bike an overall balanced feel, and it rides much better when the front triangle can support the weight being on the saddle or handlebars.

• Tool kit with replacement parts, and tools to keep me on the trail.
• Spare spokes and nipples
• Tube
• Pump
• First aid kit
• Wet Ones
• Terrex Swift Agravic Jacket
• 2L platypus hydration bladder

Saddle Bag: Wildcat Tiger Harness with Seal Line 8L Dry Bag I typically put my sleeping system in my saddle bag, Everything in this bag is super light and compacts very well. I will not touch the saddle bag unless I need to grab some shut eye, or maybe when I need to throw my down jacket on during some chilly sections of downhill riding.

• MontBell Breez Dry-Tec U.L. Sleeping Bag Cover
• Phantom™ Spark 28° Sleeping Bag – because it’s going to be colder than the Tour Divide last year.
• Adidas Outdoor Light Down Jacket
• Spot Gen 3 attached to the rear of the bag.

Handlebar Bag: Andrew the Maker BarBar Bag If I have to rock a handlebar bag it’s going to be small. Especially for technical singletrack riding where you need to lift up on your bike a bunch. The bag is easy to access so I can pull out all my layers, and when I’m using those layers, the front load gets lighter. It’s a simple option for layers

• Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Barrier WxB glove
• Pearl Izumi arm warmers
• Gore knee warmers
• Arm coolers
• Buff
• Vest

Top Tube Bag: Nuke Sunrise Titan This bad boy will carry food, and that’s all. Gas station food and more gas station food. Stem Bags: Bedrock Tapeats To-Go Bag and Wunderlust Rattlesnake As far as the Bedrock bag is concerned, you will find all of my electronics in there, including everything connected to my dynamo system. As for the Wunderlust Rattlesnake, I will store an extra bottle or food, depends on the situation, it may even be empty.

• K-Lite dynamo system with Sinewave Revolution USB charger
• Anker 9000mAh battery and Micro USB charger
• Exposure Diablo helmet lamp and associated charger
• iPhone charger
• Spare batteries AA for Etrex and AAA for Spot
• Headphones and iPod Shuffle
• Transparent replacement lenses

Backpack: Camelback Octane Lumbar Backpack I’m using a rather unconventional backpack for my setup. I will be incorporating Mountainsmith Strapplets with my lumbar pack to carry my bike across the ditch. I went with a smaller pack because I really hate weight on my back, and If it is small I will not be urged to throw extra stuff back there.

• 2L lumbar bladder
• Mountainsmith Strapplets
• Extra food
• Chain lube and small rag
• Toothbrush and paste
• Headlamp for the canyon ditch

On Me These are a few Items that have really worked for me in the past and I will continue to use them for the Arizona Trail.

• Gore Bibs
• Pearl Izumi base layer
• Griggs Ortho jersey
• Pearl Izumi X-Alp Launch II
• Swiftwick Socks
• Pearl Izumi cycling cap
• Rudy Project Sterling helmet
• Rudy Project AGON sunglasses
• Giro DND gloves

And that’s it. If you have any specific questions on why I choose these items, shoot me a line in the comments. Obviously all setups are different, but I feel like I have the majority of items you would not only need for a race, but for a casual tour. I did go with very light bikepacking bags itself in hopes to keep weight down, same with my sleeping gear. But really, weight is all relative once you get on the trail.

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